A theory of change for patient-initiated follow-up care in rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Timely, high-quality care is critical to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. In Alberta, thousands of individuals with RA are waiting for care due to the resource-intensive nature of lifelong follow-ups and rheumatologist shortages. With 20-50% of routine follow-ups not leading to treatment changes or raising new concerns, many appointments may be avoidable if care were restructured. Patient-initiated models extend rheumatologist follow-up intervals beyond 12 months where appropriate, which can reduce inefficiencies and improve care access. To address provincial RA care challenges, we co-developed a theory of change (TOC) for patient-initiated follow-up care.

Methods

A TOC serves to define health services interventions and their intended impact prior to implemen

SUBMITTER: Ester M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11899900 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature